Ensilage harvester



April 10, 1928.

F. BLECKE ENSILAGE HARVESTER Filed D90. 1l. 1926 Patented Apr. 10, 1928.

PATENT OFFICE.

FRED BLECKE, OF LUCKEY, OHIO.

ENSILAGE HARVESTER.

Application led December 11, 1926.

rlhis invention relates to ensilage harvesters and has for an object the provision of a machine which is sturdy in construction and reliable in operation. More specifically, an object of this invention is to provide a machine of this character having a vertically disposed elevator in which there is -no liability of the parts falling into the cutter, thereby eliminating a cardinal objection and fault of similar constructions heretofore in use. According to this invention, in the event of breakage of the elevator, the broken parts cannot find their way to the cutter, but are confined to one portion of the housing or conveyor remote from the cutter.

Another object is to providey a conveyor in rear of the cutter which is unaffected by therelatively great vibration of the machine while traveling, and will function efficiently tou deliver cut material to the elevator for an extended period of time without requiring attention or inspection.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

For purposes of' illustration the invention is shown in the drawings, in which:

Fig.. 1 is a vertical sectional View of an ensilage harvester, and Fig. 2 is an end view partly in section of the machine shown in F ig. 1.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a machine which is hauled across the field and is adapted to deliver corn stalks or other material. to a rotary cutter which cuts the stalks into short lengths and delivers them to a transverse conveyor.' The transverse conveyor discharges the cut stalks into an elevator which discharges them into a lateral conveyor. A wagon may be hauled along the field to receive the cut material discharged from the lateral conveyor. The above described machine is well known and a brief description thereof will suiiice.

Referringto the drawings, a frame 1 is suitably connected to a tractor or other hauling power, and arranged therein are chain conveyors 2 and 3, whichare, inclined rearwardly from the forward part of themachine. One end of each chain is mounted on a sprocket connected to the shaft 4 in the casing. As the machine is hauled along the field the 'stalks are engaged by the chain conveyors 2 and 3 and delivered to the rear portion of the machine. Vertically disposedl in the frame 1 is a chain conveyor 5 trained over sprockets 6 and 7 on shafts 8 and 9,v

' thereof.

Serial N0. 154,162.

respectively. The shafts 8 and 9 are suitably connected t-o opposite sides of the frame or housing 1. The chain conveyor 5 directs thecorn stalks from the conveyors 2 and 3 downwardly into a lcutting' chamber 10.

The cutting chamber 10 is formed by an annular housing 11 having an opening or mouth 12a through whichthe corn stalks are delivered by the conveyor 5. Within the chamber 10 is a rotary cutter 12 having a plurality of radially disposed arms having cutting knives at the outer ends thereof. The cutter 12 is secured to a transversely arranged shaftA 13, which is fixed at its opposite ends to traction wheels 14. It will be seen that as the machine is hauled over the-field i thewh-eels 14 rotate the cutter 12 and therebycut the corn stalks into relatively short lengths. Y.

-A drum 15 having outwardly projecting teeth is disposed adjacentfthe mouth of the chamber 10, and assists in directing the corn stalks into the cutting chamber. The drum 15 is mounted on a shaft 16, which is mounted for rotation in opposite sides of i the frame 1. f

y.The corn stalks which have been cut by the rotary cutter 12 are thrown by a. cen trifugal force into a chamber 17 in the rear The chamber 17 is in communication with -the chamber 10 throughout its length, and disposed within the chamber 17 is a transversely disposed shaft 18, having a helical vane 19. Rotation of the shaft 18 causes the cut material to be delivered to one end of the chamber 17. `Secured to one end of the shaft 18 is a sprocket 20, which is connected by a chain 21to a smaller sprocket on the cutter shaft 13, so that rotation of the cutter shaft 13 imparts rotation to the helical conveyor 19.

For driving the verticallydisposed conveyor 5, a sprocket and chain connection 22 connects the cutter shaft 13 and conveyor shaft 9. As shown, the shaft 4 is provided with a beveled gear 23 at one end thereof Vmeshing with a gear 24, .which is fixed to a transverse shaft 25. The shaft 25 is connected to the cutter shaft 13 by a sprocket and chain connection 26.

It will be noted that the chamber 17 for the helical conveyor 19 is somewhat longer than the cutter chamber 10, and rising from the discharge end of the conveyor chamber 17, is an upright housing 27, in which is arranged an endless conveyor. 28, which is the tubular housing 32 is a (shaft 33 having a ,y helical vane 34V. The inner end oli the shaft 33 is connected by achain andsprocket connection to theishaft 31%.

Fromjthe above description it will be seen thatthe corn stalks are delivered to the cut` ting chamber 10,-by, chain conveyors 2 and 3, and the verticallydisposed coni-"eyor,` assist-` ed by thetoothed drum 16.4 The corn stalks are `cut into i small pieces `by the rot-ary cutter 12and delivered therefrom tothe receiving orv conveyor-chamber 17 The helicalvane 19 deliversthe ensilage to one side of the chamber 17, and the elevator or vertically disposed chain conveyor QS-raises` the material totheupper part of thehousingiQf, from V`Which it drops into the tubular casing or housing-32.` The helical vaneiilcarries 1 materi'all from; the conveyor'-` 28, and discharges it throughits open end.

An outstandng Vcharacteristic of` this in-` vention consists inthe previsioni off the helical, conveyorss19uandf34, Which aresturdy` and Will not break or become inoperative due tol the vibration of the machine. It? will' be understood thatthis machine is hauledy over rough and irregular fields andthe vibration` to ,theV machine `is-considerable, so that unless` aconveyor is provided which will stand up under the hardusage and great vibration, breakage o' the parts `will quick/ly `take-place.` Heretoi'ore, considerable difficulty has been occasioned by breakage ofthe elevator" and the parts thereof dropping into the rotary cutter, thereby causing breakage of the knives and throwing the entire `machinelout ol use for a considerable period of time. Elevatorsol thisutype have been' considerably longer than that shown on the drawing, and have beenlinclined from the vertical so that the vibrationpot the partsahasbeen con` siderable, thereby resulting in'y frequent breakage of the' parts` This is obviously costly, in that;themachineV is laid up for a` considerable .period lof time for repairs and the cost oit replacements 1s material. Byf means ofmy constructmn and arrangement,

liabilityl of breakage 4of-t'heparts is reduced to a minimum.`

A further" 'advantageous feature of my, construction resides in the positioning andf supporting ofthe elevator so that Whipping thereof during' operationis materially ref duced, thereby lengthening `the life of the parts and reducing the operatingftcost.- ByV my arrangementthe sheetmetal lcasingff? is directly supported by the housing for the chamber 17, and While a slight amount of Whipping or swaying of the elevating parts may take place during the operation of the machin-e, this is not sufficient to interfere materially with the `eiiicient operation of the parts and constitutes a valuable improvement `over constructions heretofore in use of which I am aware;

While I have shown; andfdescribed one `embodiment, ofmy invention, itis to be. un,-

derstood that numerous chaifiges@` in detailsr i.

ber, Wheels `mounted on, the. ends ot'said` shaft, rotary cutter on said sbatte means for feeding, ensilagey to said' chamber; *ai housing;

connected to said ,casing ini rear thereof andi` havingan interior in freev conimun-ioatior'r.y with said chamber, anhelrcal conveybr mii` said housing for delivering the` inaterial. cut

by said critter to onesideof theuhousi'nga# tube rising vertically from the discharge end of said housing, an endless conveyor-5inl saidi` tube"` for elevating thematerial` fromsaid casing, a tubeextending'laterally rornfthe` upper endilof said verticali tube, and: aihelical conveyor inl said' :tub'e y 2. In an ensil-age harvesterya'casing have` ing a chamber extending transversely there!4 driving' means for said shaft, arrot'ar-y cutterA on saidshaft, nieansffor feedifngfensilageto said chamber, a housing connected toisalfidi casing in `rear thereof andihavingianin- Y terior in Atree communicationwithfsaidchaml to one side thereof, a vertically disposedt'ubct risingfromfthe discharge *end ofsaid bons-'1 ing and an Aendless'conveyorm1saidftubefor elevating :.the material froml the' l`1o`us1ng,`\sv

'3; fIn an ensilage harvester, arv casinghaivf ing a chamber"y extendingtransversely 4there:`

of, a shaft extending throughrsaid chamber, wheels i mountedv on the endsfoi?` said fsh'af'ft, -av

rotary cutter on sai-d shaft, meansifor feed@ ing ensilageto said chamber, afho'usingf'con nectedto lsai d casing` in rear thereof 4andhavl ing an interior in free'communieationwithE said chamberv and 'so arranged that s'aidj rol tary :cutter` expelsl the cuti ensiflage from-:thel

chamber directly` into thehousig',.said 11,5113; ing being' of slightly' greater* enga-iam said chamber and having` its discharge end spaced outwardly from the chamber, a conveyor within said housing for delivering the cut ensilage to one side thereof, a vertically disposed tube rising from the discharge end of said housing` and an endless conveyor in said tube for elevating the material from the housing7 whereby in case the endless conveyor should break7 it will drop into the outwardly spaced discharge end of the housing 10 Without interfering with sai-d first conveyor and rotary cutter.

ln testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my naine to this specification.

FRED BLECKE. 

